Character plate for photographic lettering machines



A. T. KOPPE May 6, 1941.

CHARACTER PLATE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC LETTERING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 14. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MTV W,

y 6, 1941- A. T. KOPPE 2,241,263

CHARACTER PLATE FOR PHOTOGRAPHiC LETTERING MACHINES Patented May 6, 1941- CHARACTER PLATE FOB PHOTOGBAPHIC LETTERING MACHINES Alexander T. Koppe, Chicago, 111., assignor to General Printing Ink Corporation, New York, N. Y.,- a corporation of Delaware Original application August 14, 1936, Serial No.

Divided and this application December 16, 1939. Serial No. 309,678

4 Claims.

This invention is an improved alphabet or character plate for a photographic lettering machine and is a division of my application Serial No; 96,105, filed August 14, 1936, patented December 19, 1939, Patent 2,184,221.

In photographic lettering machines of the character here involved, great precision and accuracy are required because a slight misalignment of even a single letter or character is serious in that it practically spoils the finished job.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an alphabet plate which may be' quickly and accurately placed in and positioned in its holder so that its position is determined with micrometer accuracy, that is to say, within a few thousandths of an inch.

The term alphabet plate as used in this speciflcation means a plate provided not only with letters of the alphabet, but with other indicia or characters such as numerals, dollar signs, percentage marks, etc.

According to the present invention, the alphabet plate, which is preferably a glass plate with a dark or opaque background and translucent letters and characters, is provided with a metallic frame enclosing its edges and this frame is provided with positioning lugs or blocks, so placed that the dimensions of the 1 plate, plus such blocks, are determinable within one or two thousandths of an inch.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating the present preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved character plate;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a holder for the character plate of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the character plate in place in the holder; and

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged, fragmentary, sectional views taken on the lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 3.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 2 is an alphabet or character plate, made of glass, provided with several lines of letters and other indicia in transparent or translucent letters on a dark or opaque background. This plate is provided with a metallic frame 4, substantially U-shaped in cross section, enclosing all four edges of the plate. This frame 4 provides bearing surfaces against which clamping devices 24 and 28, described below, may engage. The frame 4 is provided along one side with a plurality of positioning blocks 6,

which are very accurately machined, so that thedistance from the outsideof one of the blocks to the opposite side of the frame is known within a few thousandths of an inch.

One end of the frame is provided with a positioning block 8, also of accurately predetermined thickness.

The alphabet plate is positionable in a plate holder iii which is provided with a central opening i2, bordered by side members l4 and inset shoulders IS, the latter provided with studs I8, for receiving the alphabet plate. On one side, the side portions l4 are provided with accurately dimensioned studs 20 and on the other side with springs 22 and resilient clamps 24. One end of the holder I0 is provided with a stud 2G, accurately dimensioned.

When the plate 2 and frame 4 are in position in the plate holder iii, as more particularly shown in Fig. 3, the springs 22 press the frame 4 lat erally and the clamps 24 which have snapped over the upper edge of the frame, press the frame downwardly against the studs ill on shoulders ii. The studs iii are accurately made and have the important function of precisely positioning the alphabet plate, necessary when a predetermined focus is used. The underside of plate 2 is the film or letter carrying side, and the studs i8 enable this side to be positioned with great precision in the correct horizontal plane even though. the glass varies in thickness.

The frame is pressedmanually to the left so that the block 8 engages against stud 26 and then the plate is clamped in the position described by means of pivoted clamps 28, carried by shoulders I! which swing over and firmly engage the upper edge of the frame, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.

The plate holder in is provided at one end with a positioning stud 30 and is also provided near the two rear corners with cut-outs forming shoulders on which are positioned accurately dimensioned blocks 32. The two other corners are provided with accurately dimensioned bearing blocks 32a. The plate holder I0 is also provided with cut-outs 33 for the fingers, for convenience in placing and removing the alphabet plate.

In the art of photographic lettering, involving the composing of words or sentences involving different types of lettering, it is, of course, necessary to change the alphabet plate for each new type of lettering. Furthermore, each time a new plate is put in the machine, it must be placed with micrometer accuracy, that is, wihin a few thousandths of an inch. With the alphabet plate of the type covered by the present invention, a plate can be removed and a new plate inserted in theholder very quickly, the change of plates taking possibly not over fifteen seconds, and yet when the blocks 8 and 8 on the'plate are positioned against their respective abutments, the operator knows that the plate is in absolutely correct position in the machine for producing accurate work. Any misalignment or error in spacing of the letters is very apparent in a line of printing and such errors are effectively avoided by the use of the alphabet plate of this invention, and yet the plates can be very quickly positioned. This is in contrast to various devices of the prior art where wedges, adjusting crews and the like are used for positioning plate holders in various types of photographic devices. Where adjusting screws are necessary, the time involved in loosening the screws, removing the plate, putting in a new plate, and tightening up the screws again, takes a great deal of time and, moreover, unless the screws are tightened up to exactly the point they were before, the plate thus replaced will not be in exactly the same position as was the former plate, with consequent possible misalignment or misspacing of the letters.

It will, therefore, be seen that I have provided an alphabet plate which may be quickly and accurately positioned in its holder with micrometer accuracy, which accuracy, as has been pointed out, is essential in apparatus of the type 'here involved.

While I have illustrated in some detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details shown, but may be carried out in other Ways,

l claim as my invention:

1. In a plate holder for a photographic lettering machine comprising an open frame provided with shoulders projecting into the opening in the frame and with positioning studs projecting inwardly from the inner edge of the frame, the combination of an alphabet and character plate having translucent characters thereon, a frame, U-shaped in cross section, enclosing the edges or" said plate, and accurately dimensioned positioning blocks, carried on the outside of said frame, in positions to engage against said positioning studs.

2. In a plate holder for a photographic lettering machine comprising an open frame provided with shoulders projecting into the opening in the frame and with positioning studs projecting inwardly from the inner edge of the frame, the combination of an alphabet and character plate having translucent characters thereon, a metallic frame, U-shaped in cross section, surrounding and enclosing the edges of said plate, and positioning blocks of micrometer accuracy, carried on the outside of said frame, in substantially the same plane as the character plate, in positions to engage against said positioning studs.

3. In a plate holder for a photographic lettering machine comprising an open frame provided with shoulders projecting into the opening in the frame and with positioning studs projecting, inwardly from the inner edge of the frame, the combination of an alphabet and character plate having translucent characters thereon, a metallic frame, U-shaped in cross section, surrounding and enclosing the edges of said plate, and positioning blocks of micrometer accuracy, carried on the outside of a longitudinal edge, and on the outside of the end, of said frame, in substantially the same plane as the character plate, in positions to engage against said positioning studs.

which clamping'devices may engage, the frame further being provided on the outside thereof with positioning blocks of micrometer accuracy, for use in accurately positioning the plate in the holder of the lettering machine.

ALEXANDER T. KOPPE. 

